“Halloween is the season to be spooked, but Wisconsinites shouldn’t have to be afraid of swimming, fishing and boating in Lake Mendota,” said Wisconsin Environment’s Elizabeth Rose Hansen. “Major polluters from agriculture and developers and dump toxic chemicals and hazardous waste into our waterways, turning it into a potion of pollution.”

Statewide, nitrate levels exceed state and federal standards in 10% of the private wells sampled. In the Trempealeau County area, nitrate-nitrogen exceeded the drinking water standard in all thirteen wells sampled. [6]

Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources has repeatedly failed to enforce the Clean Water Act, the foundational legislation that protects our lakes and rivers. [8]

Over half of Wisconsin’s stream miles are once again left vulnerable to pollution due to a federal court of appeal’s ruling to disband the EPA’s new Clean Water Rule. [9, 10, 11, 12]

The same loopholes in the Clean Water Act leave the drinking water for nearly 1 in 14 Wisconsinites vulnerable to pollution. [9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

To protect Wisconsin’s wetlands and tributaries, Wisconsin Environment called on Congress to oppose any attacks on clean water.

At the end of the summer, Wisconsin Environment celebrated as the U.S. EPA’s Clean Water Rule finally went into effect, restoring Clean Water Act protections to waterways nationwide, including over 250 miles of waterways in Wisconsinites and the drinking water for around 1 in 14 Wisconsites. This was the biggest step forward for clean water in a decade.

Unfortunately, the Clean Water Rule is now under attack in both federal courts and the United States Congress.

Tressie Kamp from Midwest Environmental Advocates joined Wisconsin Environment in highlighting the frightening pollution problems in the state. “Here’s a scary water fact from MEA: Wisconsin does not have the staffing or funding to protect our State’s waters in full compliance with federal law.” To bring these water quality problems issues into the court of public opinion, last week on October 20th 16 Wisconsin residents filed a Petition for Corrective Action with the Environmental Protection Agency. The Petition asked that the EPA take back the DNR’s authority to issue water pollution permits if the DNR doesn’t start doing a better job in the very near future.

“Halloween witches and ghosts should be should be scary. The state of Lake Mendota shouldn’t be, ” added Hansen. “We urge Senator Baldwin to continue being a champion for clean water so that we can give Lake Mendota the Halloween treat it deserves: protection from pollution.”

Wisconsin Environment is a statewide, citizen-funded environmental organization working to protect clean air, clean water, and open spaces.